The present invention relates to a handling apparatus for forging machines. More particularly, the present invention relates to an apparatus applicable to forging machines utilized for the production of screws, rivets and the like, and suitable to drag the wire from which these items are made.
As is known, forging machines utilized to produce screws, rivets and the like comprise a so-called xe2x80x9cwire-tensioningxe2x80x9d unit, which enables the advance of the wire to a fixed extent, according to the length of the screw, rivet or similar item being manufactured.
In forging machines of the known art, the wire-tensioning unit generally comprises special dragging rollers, which have, along the surface, specific seats with a semicircular profile, according to the diameter of the wire utilized. This method has severe drawbacks due to the very presence of the rollers, which must be replaced each time the wire diameter changes. Such a replacement operation, although not particularly complex, requires a temporary stop of the operating cycle, resulting in an increase in production costs. Furthermore, the replacement of the rollers must be carried out by expert and qualified personnel, because very exact adjustments are required in order for the correct advance of the wire.
A further drawback caused by the replacement of the rollers concerns the necessity of having available a large number of roller couples according to the different diameters of wire used. When one considers that there may be several dozens of wire diameters that are utilized, it can readily be appreciated that there is a correspondingly large number and assortment of roller couples that need to be kept on hand, and that, consequently, equipment costs are high with such a system.
Another known method utilized for dragging the wire on the forging machines for the production of screws, rivets and the like involves the use of mobile pliers, which alternatively grasp and release the wire to transfer it to the position required. This method, however, also has a number of severe drawbacks, arising from the construction complexity of the equipment and the ensuing costs, as well as operating difficulty due to the need for constant adjustment of the equipment.
The overall object of the present invention is to overcome all the above drawbacks of the previously known art.
More particularly, one object of the present invention is to provide a handling apparatus for forging machines utilized for the production of fasteners such as screws, rivets and the like, suitable to drag the wire, and such that a configuration of the apparatus is not constrained to handling only a particular diameter wire, but is independent of wire diameter and is capable of handling a wide range of wire sizes.
A further object of the present invention is to provide the above-described apparatus, which further does not require that a wide range of wire diameter-dependent components be maintained and changed whenever the diameter of the wire is changed.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus for handling wires for forging machines, that is able to be adjusted in a rapid and easy way.
According to the present invention, these and still other objects specified by the following description are achieved by an apparatus for handling forging machines comprising:
a first cam, keyed on a first motor-driven rotary shaft, cooperating with a first angularly orientable lever, associated with a roller, and formed by a branched member having a rectilinear portion that is capable of being placed parallel with respect to a screw, that is guided by a support, and that is caused to rotate clockwise or counter-clockwise either manually or by an electric motor;
a sliding carriage, associated with the screw, and provided with a transversal tying pin for an oscillating bar bearing on its free end;
a needle that strikes the rectilinear portion of the first lever;
a second angularly orientable lever, cooperating with a carriage movable in a direction parallel to the direction of advance of the wire;
wire grasping means for grasping the wire;
a second cam mounted on a second shaft or rotary side shaft of the forging machine, cooperating with a needle fixed to the lower end of a third lever pivoted on a static support of the forging machine.